Check out our new Monthly Playlists on Spotify

There are album drops a-plenty from Chicago this week! The sounds and feels are all over the place this week and we love it! Take a look at the list and let us know if you’re more on the hip-hop sounds Mother Nature just put out or do you prefer jovial whimsy of E.R. Jurkin.

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Premiere

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“Sarina” by Tommaso

We’re still feeling that love out of Chicago! This list sums up the cultural diversity we see here in the Windy City. Everything from pop and folk that soothes the soul, to rabble rousing rap that can chuff even the tightest of asses. Take a gander at the list and let us know what you think.

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So many records are coming out of Chicago we couldn’t fit 'em all in this week's post! From neo-soul to funky jams, from old time acoustic to indie rock darlings, Chicago has it all and these are some of the local records we just can’t wait to dig into.

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Spring is set to bring a whole boatload of Chicago music! Many of the following singles are from albums dropping this week and throughout the next several months. Like always, our scene stretches the genre pipeline and there is sure to be something here for all persuasions, from pop and soul to hip-hop and indie rock, Chicago refuses to bend to just one taste. A multitude of tunes awaits, so hit that playlist button and discover your next favorite artist in our March singles feature.

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Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist, former members of The Weekend Run Club, deliver a clever emo indie-rock EP with Surrealist. Opening with a ‘meow’ and closing with a ‘bark’- this record is filled with whimsy and upbeat riffs that backdrop angsty, anxiety-filled lyrics that are easy for listeners to relate to.

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The music of Floatie could be categorized simply as art rock. Their sound is strummy, clean, filled with delicious holes, and smothered in droning poetic vocals. The nine tracks of Voyage Out seem to roll by in a flash, passing seamlessly from one to the next. The transitions are handled with such musicianship, the album feels like one long composition. But I don’t mean to imply that the songs are plagued by sameness, on the contrary. They contain multitudes…

read the review

There’s plenty of love coming out of Chicago this week! As we scan upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon.

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We’ve got a great mix of releases this week! A couple of outstanding debut records, some nostalgic alternative rock, a long-awaited follow up album, and more.

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In Depth

Pandemic life has left its scars on us all. Some have healed, and other wounds open up on a daily basis. Many will never quite leave, and the future will always be shaped by the last year. For Fauvely, the Chicago dream pop act headed by Sophie Brochu and Dale Price, it has scattered their members and halted a trajectory that would have seen them tour internationally for the first time, play South by Southwest, and continue to rise in an overcrowded local indie scene. And despite it all they came together last summer to record their debut full length. A darkly gorgeous record, full of Brochu’s hopes and anxieties, the allure of nature at night, and the seduction of the destination, Beautiful Places captures an enchanting feeling that transcends the everyday and our ever present scars.

Read The full In Depth Feature

Not much is coming of Chicago this week but we did manage to find some pretty amazing music from around the country and the world. We had our ear on quite a bit of good old fashioned garage rock this week, so hit our list and see what sounds good to you.

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Glen Echo is the latest release from longtime indie singer and multi-instrumentalist Azita Youssefi. A melodic guitar-driven record laced with a deep, dark, almost Jonathan Richman-like vocal effort. You don’t want to pass this one up.

READ THE REVIEW

Our dear Surfers with their fingers on the pulse of the Chicago music scene will tell you, the digital release of Gal Gun’s Critical Hit was back in December 2020. This reviewer couldn’t resist giving the album a shout out when I heard about the limited run of Smashed Plastic vinyl the band has put together. 100 numbered copies hand stuffed by vocalist/guitarist Colin Isaac Burns with goodies that will deepen your appreciation for the music and make receiving this album feel like a care package from a friend that wants to make sure you know they are here if you need them.

READ THE REVIEW

We promised you plenty of Chicago music was coming, and this week the musicians of our fine city have delivered. Plenty of excellent albums are hitting the airwaves this week, head down our list to see what new records are coming at ya!

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Oh man! February was a singles bonanza out of Chicago! As many acts gear up for spring releases, there were 20 singles that came out this month that you gotta hear! Yes you read that right! 20 songs from our scene that spans the gamut from quiet singer songwriter fare to bopping hip hop to indie rock feels and beyond. Hit up the playlist, check out some of these videos, and mark your calendars from some killer full records coming your way.

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There is no shortage of GREAT music this week! We’ve got a couple of local artists who made the list and we’re excited that Chicago’s South Side is getting a lot of traction this year so far. There’s also a rather deep cut into the international flavor at the bottom of this list with nine bands not from the U.S. who are tickling our eardrums these days. 

check out our selections this week

We’re a little short on Chicago music this week, but fear not- we’ve got great new releases across other scenes. Variety is the spice of life this week, from psychedelic pop to southern indie rock to jazz-fused hip hop: there’s something for everyone as we brace through another week of bitter cold. 

check out our selections this week

Claudia Ferme debuts her first EP, Enactor, with minimalistic dream-pop sounds weaved between honest, sad storytelling. Melodramatic, introspective, and simple; these tunes pair perfectly with the frigid cold weather we’ve been having in the Windy City.

read the review

There is no shortage of excellent music coming out this week. We have a couple of hometown heroes dropping albums as well. We’re super excited for Claude and Chris Crack to share the spotlight this week! We did come across a couple of gems from around the country, too, so scroll below and see who’s got us excited this week!

Check out our selections This week

There is no shortage of excellent music coming out this week. No records out of Chicago, but that is set to change in the coming weeks as the early spring releases will start pouring in. This is an incredible international week, with some great releases coming out of Australia, England, Nigeria, and Canada.

Check out our selections This week

This year has started off with a plethora of sounds coming out of Chicago. As always our cavernous scene produced some of the most outstanding and artistically driven music to grace the airwaves this month, and here are bakers dozen of tunes we think your eardrums deserve.

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The South Side isn’t known as a bastion of rock bands; but out in the sea of hip hop, R&B, and the blues, the island of the Railway Gamblers has made a home. Drawing on americana and rock influences that span generations, they produce a sound that is at once timeless and tied to the modern heart of their city.

Read The Review

There is no shortage of excellent music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon. Head below to read about a couple albums coming out this week that we’re excited about.

Check out our selections this week

Since releasing the single “Sober Haha Jk Unless”, emo trio Hospital Bracelet has seen great success in anticipation of their debut full-length, South Loop Summer. Angsty, emotional, aggressive- yet hopeful, a sound that truly reminds you of the Chicago rock scene.

read the review

We’ve got more great new releases this week! From folk to thrash, there’s gems for listeners of every kind. Check out these previews of records that we are stoked to hear this week. We are always on the hunt for great new Chicago music, as always, let us know if something should be on our radar! 

Check out our selections this week

It took no time at all to gobble down Beach Bunny’s new bite size EP. Four yummy little pieces of hooky, pop punk delight. A triumph to have their TV debut be on the back of such an offering. Further inspection shows enormous growth for our home town heroes.

READ THE REVIEW

We’ve got more great new releases this week! From desert-folk to power-pop to alternative-rock, there’s gems for listeners of every kind. Check out these previews of records that we are stoked to hear this week. We are always on the hunt for great new Chicago music, as always, let us know if something should be on our radar! 

Check out our selections this week

With The Deals’ first full-length, Clear and Severe, getting ready to drop this month, it’s important to get an idea of who these folks are and what they’re all about. We had a chance to speak with Joey Deal, singer, organist, vibraphonist, guitarist, and songwriter (phew!) for The Deals to get a little background on the band.

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This year is kicking off with headbangs and heartaches. Chicago quartet splits delivers a standout release with their sophomore EP, vice versa.

read the review

Happy New Year! There is no shortage of excellent music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon. Head below to read about a couple albums coming out this week that we’re excited about.

check out our selections this week

This is our chance to look back at 2020, breath a sigh of relief and look to the future. To a time when we will get to see all these great bands once again. Some amazing music was released this year.

REad the second half of our year in review

December is always a somewhat quiet month in music, but here are four singles and one EP that came out of Chicago this month. We hope you had an illuminating pandemic holiday, we sure did. Plug into these fresh tracks and enjoy the sounds of the local scene to bring in the new year.

Check out this months singles out of Chicago

This is our chance to look back at 2020, breath a sigh of relief and look to the future. To a time when we will get to see all these great bands once again. Some amazing music was released this year.

Read the first half of our Year in Review

Civlization - Episode 4

The final of four virtual episodes in this series to help raise awareness and funds for CIVL SAVE Emergency Relief Fund. Please visit the CIVL sight to to make a monthly or one time only donation.

Hosted by DJ and Artist Sadie Woods, this entry features the one of a kind Avery R. Young and The Deacon Board from Rosa’s Lounge, Xoe Wise at Avondale Music Hall, and the series finishes with an excellent set from the David Boykin Expanse on the one and only Empty Bottle stage. A true representation of the breadth of the Chicago scene and it’s many, many vital venues and musicians. We can’t recommend this whole series enough and it’s a reminder of what we will loose if we don’t all chip in to help save our independent venues. Please donate and support CIVL and their SAVE Emergency Relief Fund.

After months of releasing staggered sets of singles, Sonny Falls finally gives us the cherry-on-top by releasing the full, double-LP All That Has Come Apart/Once Did Not Exist. This album showcases the mature efforts of songwriter Ryan “Hoagie Wesley” Ensly, with lyrics clever and light-hearted, to the score of well composed garage-indie flourished with horns, violins, and tambourines.

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Wreath of Hogs is four parts talent fronted by a visionary poet named Andrew Rolfsen. A band that is very much in love with the Chicago scene, Wreath of Hogs time in front of music-goers might be limited, but that hasn’t stopped them from being creative, putting out an EP (They’re Not Paintings, May 2019) and full-length (Green House, Green Couch, Sep 2020). We had a chance to talk with frontman, Andrew Rolfsen and pick his brain about the band, COVID, and art as he sees it.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

⬐ In depth ⬎

One of the Chicago scene’s last releases of 2020 finally hits the airwaves in full this week when Sonny Falls new album All That Has Come Apart​/​Once Did Not Exist makes its full debut on Tuesday, December 15th. A sixteen month journey that was hampered by restarts, delays, and of course the pandemic. Once the record was finished in April, it was released over the course of the summer and fall as singles and two EPs, with only three songs saved for the final record. But now fans can experience the full journey as it was meant to be, a rolling escapade of city life filled with personal experiences and emotive confessions; rocking guitar vibes offset by deftly stirring story songs reminiscent of Elliott Smith or Sun Kil Moon.

Read the Feature

Civlization - Episode 3

The third of four virtual episodes in this series to help raise awareness and funds for CIVL SAVE Emergency Relief Fund. Please visit the CIVL sight to to make a monthly or one time only donation.

Hosted by Metro/Smartbar/G-Man founder Joe Shanahan, this entry features the incomparable SuperKnova in Schubas, Quin Kirchner’s new jazz project at Sleeping Village, indie rockers Minor Moon on the Lincoln Hall stage, and closing with producer/singer/songwriter AMI in Hyde Park’s The Silver Room. A true representation of the breadth of the Chicago scene and it’s many, many vital venues and musicians. We can’t recommend this one enough and it’s a reminder of what we will loose if we don’t all chip in to help save our independent venues. Please donate and support CIVL and their SAVE Emergency Relief Fund.

We combed even deeper into the time we were on hiatus and found a few more excellent projects to share. Make sure to click on the title links to find the album on bandcamp, and give these artists your support and hard earned green backs.

REad About our Selections

Dogs At Large bring us another 2020 release with My Epihpone, departing slightly from their psychedelic sounds for a more synthy, experimental indie rock collection.

Read the review

There is no shortage of killer music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon. Head below to read about a couple albums coming out this week that we’re seriously excited about.

Check Out our Selections

Civlization - Episode 2

The second of four virtual episodes in this series to help raise awareness and funds for CIVL SAVE Emergency Relief Fund. Please visit the CIVL sight to to make a monthly or one time only donation.

Hosted by Comedian and Producer Brain Babylon, this entry features two step masters Wild Earp and The Free For Alls at The Concord, the one and only TALsounds from Martyrs’, and jazz maestro Frank Catalano at Dorian’s. A true representation of the breadth of the Chicago scene and it’s many, many vital venues and musicians. We really enjoyed this one and it’s a reminder of what we will loose if we don’t all chip in to help save our independent venues. Please donate and support CIVL and their SAVE Emergency Relief Fund.

Benefit compilations have been springing up everywhere during 2020. Every scene across the country and the world has been trying to raise funds for a cause or just to keep a roof over their artists heads. However, Warm Violet is something special.

Read the Interview with CCJS volunteer Don Lyons

Buy Warm Violet on Bandcamp Friday

There is no shortage of killer music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon. Head below to read about a couple albums coming out this week that we’re seriously excited about.

Check Out Our Selections

As we comb through the endless emails and PR announcements over the months that we’ve been away, some gems came to light that we just could not keep to ourselves. Here are some singles from the last two months that we are itching to share with you.

⬐Make sure to click on the playlist button to listen to these tunes. ⬎

Read about the last two months in Chicago singles

CIVLIZATION - EPISODE ONE

The first of four virtual episodes in this series to help raise awareness and funds for CIVL SAVE Emergency Relief Fund. Please visit the CIVL sight to to make a monthly or one time only donation.

This first episode features performances from Dos Santos at The Hideout, Beats Y Bateria from The Chop Shop, Half Gringa in The Tonic Room, and ÉSSO at Subterranean. Hosted by Lin Brehmer of WXRT, it’s a strong representation of what we will loose if we don’t all chip in to help save our independent venues. Please donate and support CIVL and their SAVE Emergency Relief Fund.

There is no shortage of killer music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon. Head below to read about a couple albums coming out this week that we’re seriously excited about.

Check Out Our Selections

⬐ Amplify ⬎

Multi-tasking is a way of life for Brianna Tong, the former community organizer turned librarian is a member of three bands, belongs to several organizations, and dabbles in crafts and graphic design in her down time. As the charismatic vocalist for Cordoba, who released their debut full length Specter this month, after delaying the release due to covid, she was ready for the world to hear the record.

Read The Amplify Feature

There is no shortage of killer music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon.

Check Out Our Selections

As with all of the artists on Sooper Records, Luke Titus is an innovator. To say his debut full length record Plasma is a genre mash is to simplify the complex layers of aural magnificence that streams from the glossy, synth fueled pop tunes.

Read The Review

There is no shortage of killer music coming out this week. As we start diving more into upcoming release lists, singles and endlessly scrolling through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music coming out. Head inside to read about a couple of Chicago bands with albums coming out this week that we’re seriously excited about, and other records we can’t wait to hear.

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Letting Go takes from the traditions of Bakersfield and Nashville to make a soup of Chicago country that is as thick as the lake Michigan fog on a spring night.

READ THE REVIEW

Atalanta is the second installment from our friends, Boundary Waters. This sophomore effort stands true to their sound offering flowing vox, math-like instrumental precision, and an unending dreamscape of harmony.

READ THE REVIEW

Flower of Devotion came out on the very weekend DEHD should’ve been taking Union Park by storm. Hearing Jason Balla singing the refrain “Do you wanna disappear with me?” over Eric McGrady’s bouncing beat was like meeting back up with an old friend.

Read the review

We at CCS may have stepped away for a few months, but the Chicago music scene kept on churning. So many stellar records and projects dropped while we were on hiatus, and we would be remiss if we didn’t feature some of them here. So kick back, plug into the playlist we made, click those links, and buy these artist’s work. All of them are deserving of your hard earned bucks.

READ ABOUT THE MUSIC FROM CHICAGO WE MISSED

We are delving into upcoming release lists. We are keeping tabs on singles. We are scrolling endlessly through Instagram. We are looking for submissions. All to help connect you to the best new music.

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A haunting vibe emmenates off the songs of Specter, a fitting soundtrack to the season, in more ways than one. Another crossroads for our culture draws days away and Cordoba has produced a record of poetic journeys wrapped in warnings, protests, coping, and twisted hypnotic sonics that didn’t need a national catastrophe to be topical.

READ THE INTERVIEW